The Significance of Our Love
by DivergentFan4Ever
Summary: "We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before even a word has been spoken."


_**Disclaimer: I do not own any Divergent or any of the characters. It all belongs to Veronica Roth. I only own the plot.**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

 _ **The Significant First Encounter**_

" _ **We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before even a word has been spoken."**_

 _ **~Fyodor Mihailovici Dostoevsky**_

 _ **22 June 2020**_

 **At Tobias's Apartment**

 **Chicago has always been Tobias Eaton's favorite city in the world and that has not changed and most definitely will not ever change. The beauty of this city just never ceases to amaze him. He was born and raised here, practically spent his entire life here but he never seemed to get bored of it. To tell you the truth, that was not entirely true but somehow the good memories always managed to find a way to balance out the unpleasant ones. There were tons of times when he wanted to just flee all his miseries, his abusive father and all the shit that he had to go through as a kid but he could never bring himself to actually do so. There was just too much for him to leave behind. Too many people he loved and didn't want to let down. No matter how hard it was, he always fought back the desire to leave because of all his friends and surely his mother. Spending numerous awful years with the torture of living under the same roof as him, of getting beaten up with a belt almost on a daily basis or being locked inside of a closet, finally at the age of 17, things took a turn towards the better as he and his mother gathered the strength to solve their 'situation' and fight back after things went too far one particular night. Sometimes, he still feels the pain in all of the places Marcus hit him. It was definitely the most dreadful night of his life. Everything was covered in blood, his blood, his mother's blood, it was just horrible… Luckily for them, the neighbors heard the brawl and called the police, which led to Marcus being locked up for the rest of his life.**

 **That happened years ago and Tobias is currently 24 years old and still lives here in the city of winds. /** _ **I don't exactly know if they call Chicago that, I just remembered that from somewhere/**_ **Right after he finished high school he moved out of his mother's tiny apartment they rented together after Marcus was taken into custody, and applied to the Chicago State University where he got his teaching degree. Despite his studies, he is now working at a software designer and developer company which is becoming more and more known all across the country and even overseas, so you can imagine the hectic schedule that comes with that. That is right, he is a very busy man but he always sees to making time for his private life. When he isn't working, he spends all of his spare time with the most important person in his life, which is his son. Yes, he has a son. He is a single father of a 4-year little boy, called James Eaton.**

 **Looking back to the time in collage, Tobias certainly didn't expect to become a father at the age of 20 but he wouldn't trade the time they spent together for anything. James is the best thing that has ever happened to him.**

 _ **Everything started at that particular party back in 2016. You see, he wasn't really an outgoing person but after a very convincing talk with Zeke, he thought that for once he deserved to have some fun, as well. It was a little bit after midterms and Tobias thought that nothing is better to let off some steam than having a drink with your friends. He was really happy that he had decided to go because he had a fun time and he was finally able to let loose. Everything went great until that one time when that one drink quickly became two, then three, four and so on and so on. He got really, really drunk and I mean really drunk, so drunk that he could not even remember half of the night. As usual, tons of girls were trying to get his attention but he resisted given that he was not really the type to do one-night stands. Being drunk, he couldn't really control his actions and as expected one of the girls there took advantage of his drunken state and jumped on the opportunity of taking him to bed. The next morning he woke up with a pounding headache and with no memories of certain events of last night. Of course the fact that he was naked and so was the brunette lying next to him, helped him figure out what must have happened. Observing the place thoroughly, he had no idea where he could be but he knew that he had to get out of there quickly before the girl beside him wakes up. Slowly untangling himself from his grip on his torso, he jumped out of the bed rapidly gathering his articles of clothing and left the place, while trying to forget that this ever happened. He really wasn't the type to do one night stands but on the rare occasions he did, he never let things go further. Weeks later, he was sitting in his dorm room working on a paper when all of a sudden there was a knock on the door. He stood up, leaving the comfortability of his bed and went to open the door. He was surprised to come face to face with the same brunette, whose name he still hadn't known, and whom he slept with at that party a few weeks ago. He could see on her face that she was nervous to be here therefore he quickly invited her inside and inquired about her reasoning for paying him this visit. Never would he expect to hear what came out of her mouth after his question. On that night, he was given the information that the girl was twelve weeks pregnant and she claimed that the baby was his. Of course, at first Tobias did not want to believe her and insisted on taking a DNA-test to find out whether she was telling the truth. Having done some research on the Internet, he found a method that allows women to see who the real father of their babies is before they have to give birth. They had to wait a couple of weeks, though, because it was not safe to this procedure earlier than permitted given the fact that it could cause serious damage to the embryo or even possible miscarriage. As much as he would have liked to deny it, he became more and more comfortable with the idea of being a father as those few weeks passed and his wish was granted when it was officially confirmed that it really was his baby. Standing beside her throughout the rest of the pregnancy, Tobias did everything to support this girl. He rented an apartment and let her stay with him, jumped at her every request and even tried to talk her into raising this baby together. However, the girl did not have such plans like that and refused his offer, saying that as soon as the baby was born she would skip town. Nevertheless, Tobias was not going to just give in so simply and told her his conditions for allowing her to leave. The first one was that she would never ever return would leave them alone for good, whilst the second one was that she could not have any sort of relationship with James ever. He has never had that father-son bond with his dad but he always longed for that. The moment he found out about James, he swore to himself that he would never ever let him down and would do his best to take care of him.**_

 **Jumping back to the present, it is now a beautiful sunny Monday but not just a simple Monday. No, it wasn't like the usual Mondays when you are forced to wake up early because work is starting again. No, it was a great Monday because it was James's 4** **th** **birthday. Yes, 4 years has already passed but he doesn't regret even a second of them. His son is the cutest little human being and he brings joy and light to his boring life every day.**

 **It was 8am when the sound of the alarm clock echoed throughout the room, pushing Tobias out of his dream world. Sunlight was shining through the window of his bedroom, forcing him to wake up and it made his vision a little blurry when he opened his heavy lids for the first time. He was very well-aware of the tons of things he had to today do but he just couldn't bring himself to jump out of the comfortability of his silk sheets. Giving himself a few more minutes of relaxation, he eventually convinced himself that he has to get up and got started on his usual morning routine. After he freshened himself up at the ensuite bathroom that was connected to his bedroom and took a quick shower, Tobias realized that he was running behind schedule so he quickly got dressed into his every day outfit which consisted of a black t-shirt with some black jeans and headed downstairs to get started on breakfast. Earlier last week, he took some time off work, in order to be able to spend the week with James and have a proper birthday celebration; so he has nothing else to worry about other than his son. Tobias and James both loved outdoors therefore he decided that it would be fun to take him out to the playground. James has been talking about a new animated film ever since he saw its trailer in TV, too so he was also planning on taking him to the movies afterwards. Yesterday, he finally managed to buy all of his presents but decided that he would give them to him at the end of day at the party that his friends were planning to throw for him. Walking into the kitchen, memories of how much of a terrible chef he was when he was younger flushed through his mind, making his lips turn into a cheeky smile. It's true, he could not cook even when his life depended on it but over the course of the four years he spent with his son, he mastered certain recipes and one of them was scrambled eggs due to it being James's favorite breakfast. While beginning to make the dish, more memories of the day when James spoke for the first time shadowed his mind, breaking his attention away from the food.**

 _ **It was a couple of months before James's birthday and also the first day of the week. Tobias has just graduated from Chicago State University and also just recently got a job at a company. He was pacing around the flat trying to find all of his belongings while calling the babysitter who was once again running late which wouldn't have been a problem if Tobias wouldn't have been already so late, as well. He had no idea how he was going to make it in time since he still had to feed James, get dressed and wait for the babysitter. After a few minutes, he said screw it and quickly grabbed James's carrier along with his diaper bag and some baby food. It goes without saying that he couldn't have managed to get there in time without breaking some speed limits but he did and expectedly, his collogues were looking at him like crazy as he ran inside with a crying baby in his arm. He made some arrangements so James would be taken care of by his secretary whilst he was in meetings or doing another one of his duties. He was in the midst of one when all of a sudden his**_ _ **secretary walked inside with James in her arm who was screaming at the top of his lungs while fussing around.**_

" _I'm sorry Mr. Eaton, I tried to calm him down but he just wouldn't stop. I don't know what could be the problem."_

" _No problem, Tiffany. Thank you!"_

 _ **Seeing James be all fussy, he instantly stood up from the table and took the crying infant out of Tiffany's grip.**_

" _Da-da!"_ _ **\- The very moment James was placed into his father's embrace, he did the unexpected and let his first words slip through his lips. Tobias couldn't care less that all of his clients were watching him as he immediately burst into tears hearing his son speak for the first time.**_

 _ **Tobias:**_ _I am so sorry. It's just… My son has just said his first words._

 **Shaking his head a little bit, he placed his focus back on the food. It seems to be a reminiscing day but he isn't objecting. He loves looking back at the time when James was just a baby. Meanwhile he noticed that they are running short on some of the ingredients so he took a mental note to go grocery shopping soon. He was about to pour the batter into the frying pan when a set of knocks on the front door interrupted his actions. Not really knowing who it could be at this early hour of the morning, he cleaned his hands with a kitchen cloth and walked out of the kitchen to open up the front door. To say that he was surprised to see his mother behind that door would be an understatement.**

"Mom?!" **– He asks with astonishment in his voice, clearly not expecting to see his mom after such a long period of time. –** "Oh my God, what are you doing here?"

"Can't I just visit my favorite boys in the world?"

"Of course, you can. I just wasn't expecting you. What are you doing here? The last time we spoke you were about to leave England to go to Barcelona." **– He bombarded his mother with questions as he pulled her into a tight hug.**

"I wanted to surprise you. I got some time off from work and I decided to spend it with you guys."

"I'm really glad to hear that. How long are you staying here for?"

"Only two weeks. I asked for more but my bastard of a boss wouldn't give in."

"It doesn't matter. At least we've got this."

 **Tobias was extremely thrilled about his mother's visit because he hasn't seen her in a very long time. You see, right after he moved out of their home, Evelyn decided that she didn't want to spend the rest of her life alone sitting around the house therefore she took a job at an international charity company /** _ **I have no idea if there is such a thing/**_ **as an ambassador which contains negotiating in a various set of cities all around the globe. It's not easy for either one of them but Tobias understands that Evelyn wants some adventure so he fully supports him with her decisions. It was especially hard on James not seeing his grandmother for such a long time given that she was the closest thing he had to a motherly figure. In a couple of months, he will start preschool and will have to face the fact that not everybody is motherless.**

"Where is he?" **– She inquired eager to see her adorable grandson.**

"He's still sleeping. It shouldn't be too long before he wakes up, though. Would you like something for breakfast? I just made some scrambled eggs."

"It sounds good." **– She agreed to her son's request by nodding her head.**

 **Tobias was very glad to hear his mom agreeing to his request and sent her a small smile before walking into the narrow hallway that led to their spacious kitchen on the other of the apartment. Tobias occupied his place once again beside the stove while Evelyn took place on one of the bar stools around the kitchen island, watching him continue with the scrambled eggs.**

"So… What did you have planned for the day?"

"It's beautiful day outside today, so I was thinking maybe going out to the park for a few hours. There's this film he really wanted to see so I also want to take him to the movies and then at the end of the day give him his present."

"You're a really good dad to him, you know that?"

"I try…" **\- He answered, slightly blushing at her comment.**

"Would you like to join us? I'm sure, James would be really happy to see you."

"Oh, I would love to but unfortunately I have to go meet a client but maybe afterwards?"

"It's fine by me. We're going to Lincoln Park."

"OK. Let's talk about something else! ... Is there anyone special in your life, at the moment?"

"Mom, I have told you a thousand times, I do not have time for a relationship. You know that when I'm not working, I am spending time with James."

"I know that and that's very admirable of you. You are the greatest father James could ever ask for but you can't live your entire life just as that. You're young. You need to go out and you need to live your life to the fullest! You know, that James would very much understand if you would drop him off once or twice at a nanny or have the nanny come here. I would love to take care of him for you for a night or too."

"What do you mean you would love to take care of him? You live in San Diego, how could you babysit him?"

"I haven't told you this but I've deci…"

 **She has been meaning to talk to Tobias about what she was going to say for a while now given that it was a quite important decision but did not get to finish her sentence because of the energy bunny that just emerged from the hallway and almost tackled her to the ground.**

"Grams!" **(AN: I have no idea how a 4-year-old American speaks so I'm just going to write it the normal way.)**

"Hello there, big boy! I've missed you _sooo_ much!" **She said, wrapping her little boy up in a tight embrace.**

"I missed you, too."

"That reminds me. Happy birthday my sweet grandson! I can't believe you're already four years old. Time flies so fast!"

 **Tobias could not help letting a smile come across his face at the scene in front of him. He was extremely happy that James has got a strong bond with his grandmother and has at least her as a motherly figure in his life.**

"Good morning, buddy!" **– He greeted his son, as he wiggled his way out of his grandmother's grip.**

"Good morning, daddy!"

"Happy birthday!" **– He said picking him up and placed a kiss on the top of his head before putting him down on one of the stools. –** "Here's your breakfast. I made your favorite, I hope you like it."

 **James dug into the plate of scrambled eggs as soon as Tobias put it down in front of him. Several pieces of the dish were flying around as usual, turning the kitchen into a huge mess but Tobias couldn't care less about it. He just enjoyed seeing the smile on his face whilst filling his stomach and talking about a new toy he just got with his grandmother which added to his growing anticipation about their day.**

"What do you say about going to the park today?"

"Paarrkk!" **– He screamed excitedly as he stuffed the last few bites of his breakfast into his mouth.**

"I'll take that as a yes."

 **He took the dirty dishes from in front of him and placed them into the dishwasher, not being able to hold back a wholehearted chuckle at his overexcited son. He knew how much James loved being outdoors and it's one of the many things that they have in common. They both enjoyed spending their free times in the nature and Tobias particularly loves the face that James has every time they go to the playground. Tobias would do anything to see him happy and very much looks forward to seeing his face when he finds out about his plans for the rest of the day.**

 **Lincoln Park**

 **Having everything packed for the day, Tobias helped James dress into his outfit before finally taking off to go to Lincoln Park. In a couple of minutes, he finally found a vacant bench by a small tree on the north edge of the park where the sun slightly shone through the branches, creating a perfect warm temperature for reading. Before he took a new book that he just bought out of his backpack, he quickly turned around to make sure that everything was in perfect order. Making sure that James was still safe and sound, he proceeded with the book while stealing a couple of glances at his four-year-old son once in a while, who was happily playing with his friends by the swings on the playground. Quite some time has passed when Tobias finally reached the middle of his thriller novel. He was about to take a small break and to beckon James over, so they could eat the sandwiches he prepared for lunch back at home, when a loud noise coming from the middle of the park brought his attention away from the novel only to see a circle of people standing around something. He instantly proceeded to look for James, concern filling up his veins, but even more after he scanned the entire place thoroughly twice with his eyes and James was nowhere to be found. A wave of worry flushed trough him and he quickly tossed his book into his backpack and took off towards the monkey bars, probably sprinting like he has never done before. He pushed his way through the large crowd of people only to have his heart sunk when he saw James laying there in pain with tears in his eyes. He immediately felt pang of guiltiness in his stomach for not paying closer attention to his son.**

"James, are you OK?" **– He hurriedly asked, picking him up from the sand.**

"My leg hurts."

"I'm sorry but who are you?" **\- He was too preoccupied with making sure that James was alright that he hadn't even notice a woman kneeling down on the other side of his son.**

"I'm his father. Could one of you tell me what happened?"

"You're his father and you let this happen to him? Where were you when he fell down, huh?"

 **He was aware that the stranger was right in some kind of way because he should have been paying closer attention to him but now was definitely not the time to discuss that as his son was going through so much pain. After several minutes of listening to her insults, Tobias decided that it was enough, getting himself very pissed off. He knows that he made a mistake but there is no need to rub it into his face constantly, given that he has more important things to worry about such as taking care of his injured son. He turned towards her, irritated that she still hasn't shut up and snapped at the woman, whose face has instantly become white as wall, seeing him getting as angry as he did.**

"If you would finally stop insulting me, I would really like to hear what the hell happened to my son?! I admit that I made a mistake but we all do because we are humans."

"I saw him playing on the monkey bars but looked away for one minute then I immediately heard the screams. I think he fell off." **– He heard the answer to his question from another woman in the crowd.**

"I see, thank you!" **– He said, showing her his gratitude by a small smile and instantly bring his attention back to his son. –** "Hey buddy, where do you feel pain?"

"My leg."

 **He said as a cry of pain slipped out of his lips, making the guilt inside Tobias's chest become even more agonizing. Seeing your kid in pain is not something any parents would like to see and Tobias did not understand the real meaning of that Up until now, but he knew that James needs him more than anything; therefore he quickly clicked out of his daze and immediately proceeded to examine his legs. On the upper part of his leg nothing seemed to be out of place, therefore he moved a little bit further down to check his ankle and calves, only to find his ankle being a bit unshapen which could only mean one thing. He quickly got rid of his shoe and sock and saw that his assumption was proven to be right. His ankle was reddened and swollen which were the exact same signs of a break.**

"Do you think you can stand on it?"

"No, it hurts."

 **It didn't take him more than that to whip him up and to take off running over to the car, as much as it was possible with a 4-year-old who just probably just broke his ankle.**

 **Northwestern Memorial Hospital**

 **On the way their destination, Tobias probably every speed limit, they finally arrived to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was not encountered with the same treatment he was expecting given that there was a huge accident and all of the doctors were preoccupied with the injured people from there and apparently a little boy with a broken ankle did not count as an emergency. They must have been waiting for like 2 hours when a nurse finally acknowledged their presences and led them to the nearest examination room, letting them know that she was going to get a doctor as soon as she could. All of a sudden, in the midst of pacing around the small dark room, his phone went off signaling the arrival of a new call. He quickly dug it out of his pocket, only to see his mother's picture on the screen. Tobias knew that Evelyn must have gotten to the park by now and is probably worried sick because she didn't find them there, so he hit the button 'accept' but at the same time he wished that he hadn't.**

"Tobias, where are you guys? I'm at Lincoln Park but I don't see you guys anywhere." **– She inquired loudly, almost yelling Tobias's ear off.**

"I'm at the hospital."

"What?! Oh my God, why? Are you OK? Is James OK? What happened?"

"Don't worry, we're both OK! James was playing on the monkey bars and fell off, probably breaking his ankle. I cannot really say anything about his condition as we're still waiting for the doctor. Wait, here he comes. Mom, I'm hanging up. I'll see you back at home. I love you!"

"Wait, which hospital?"

"Northwestern Memorial Hospital."

"OK, bye!"

"Bye!"

 **The very moment he put his phone into his pocket, a doctor in bright green scrubs and politely welcomed them whilst sitting down next to the bed that James was lying on.**

"Good morning! My name is Dr. Watson and I'm going to be your doctor today. Let's see, what we've got here!"

 **He rolled along the bed on his swivel-chair to take off the bandage they put on his ankle temporarily to keep it from unnecessary movements and started off with the examination. Whilst taking a closer look at James's swollen ankle to find out whether it has been broken or not, he asked Tobias to tell him what exactly happened at the park. In a couple of minutes, he was done and ready to tell them the diagnoses.**

"I need to make an X-ray to see if it's really broken or just a sprain."

 **Dr. Watson ordered one of the nurses to bring a wheelchair into the room, in order for James to not have to walk down the X-ray room and with Tobias's help they got him onto it without moving his ankle. 10 minutes have passed and the doctor was already done with each exam he wanted to perform on James.**

"Yes, it is definitely broken but I don't think we need a surgery."

"What are you going to do then?" **– Tobias asked the worry clearly evident in his tone.**

"I'm going to put it in a walking plaster but it's going to take some time so if you'd like to go to the cafeteria to get something to drink or eat, feel free to do it! I know you've been waiting here for a while."

"I don't know…"

"He's going to be just fine, I promise!"

"OK. Thank you, Doctor!

"It's my job!

 **Tobias had to admit that he really was hungry given that the last time he consumed food was at 7am and now it was 3pm. No matter how much hungry he was, he still felt hesitant about leaving James alone. It took the doctor a good couple of minutes to convince him but eventually he managed to do so and he finally left to have a ham sandwich and some water. Meanwhile his meal, he looked up from his plate only to see Evelyn, who despite Tobias's request for her not to come here decided otherwise, emerging from the elevator. She was still worried about James but he assured her that everything was in order and they don't have to worry anymore. As the doctor promised, he succeeded in getting everything done in 20 minutes and now all they needed to leave was the doctor's final permission.**

"Here's a prescription for some painkillers in case the pain in his ankle becomes unbearable and if it runs out and he still has pain, feel free to come back for more."

"Thank you Doctor! One more question, though. When can the plaster be taken off?"

"I would say two weeks. Yeah, come back in two weeks and we'll see from there."

"OK, thank you!"

"It's my job. Get well soon, James! See you guys in two weeks."

 **Two Weeks Later**

 **There was something about hospitals that never seemed to be appealing to Tobias. Even when he was forced to stay here, he always tried to make his visit as short as possible. People in white coat have always made him uncomfortable as long as he could remember. The fact that his father was a doctor could be the reason for that but he just doesn't want to waste any more minutes thinking about him. Right now he is here for his son and his health is much more important than some phobia he developed as a kid. It has been exactly two weeks since James's accident happened and like arranged with Dr. Watson, they came back to have James's plaster taken off and finally get this whole thing over with. After a couple of days James still felt some pain but nevertheless he came to love wearing the plaster, as he could decorate it with all his drawings. Within the next 30 minutes, the plaster was taken off of his ankle and thankfully it was fully healed, making it easier for James to start preschool soon. There was still some paperwork to be done, so Evelyn offered to take him to the daycare on her way to the airport. She was going away for work for a week again and she just wanted to spend some time with her boys before she left, so she offered to come with them to the hospital. They left approximately 15 minutes ago and right now Tobias was sitting in the room waiting for the nurses to be done. He was deep in his thoughts, observing the ugly white plastic chairs of the waiting room in front of him when suddenly he felt the seat next to him being taken, which had caused him to look up and all he saw at first was a big baby bump covered by a purple t-shirt. The face of this woman was covered by her long blond locks falling down on her shoulders, as she was trying to get something from the ground, bending over.**

"Here." **– He said bending down to get the woman's wallet from the ground.**

"Thank you! You see, it's kind of hard to bend over with this thing. I'm Tris."

 **Now that the girl finally looked up Tobias was able to check out her face and to say that he was instantly blown away by her beauty would be an understatement. This girl was absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous with her long golden hair, heart-shaped face and the most beautiful pair of grayish-blue eyes he has ever seen. She also has long legs, thin hands and a petite body along with a cute long hooked nose. Her lips are long and narrow and her skin is pale but somehow still beautiful. /I'm sorry I'm so terrible at describing people I don't even know what I'm writing/**

"My name is Four." **– He introduced himself, extending his hand for her to shake it. –** "So… Are you here to… you know? I mean, judging by your size I assumed… Not that I'm trying to say that you are fat… because you are definitely not and you look absolutely beautiful."

 **Finally, he managed to get the rest of his sentence out stuttering which made him quite confused as he has never done such thing before around anyone, especially not a woman. He looked away, embarrassed at his poor choice of words, as a slight tint of crimson colored his cheeks. At that moment, everything else was more interesting than the girl next to him, to whom he just referred to as 'fat'. He had no idea why it was bothering him so much but he just couldn't seem to get his mind off of it. He was brought out of his circle of thoughts when he surprisingly felt a hand being placed on his shoulder.**

"Haha, it's OK but thank you, anyways. To answer your question, I'm just here for a check-up, actually but she should be out in any minutes. What about you?"

"The doctor has just taken off the plaster from my son's ankle but there's still some paperwork to be done so I'm just waiting for it."

"I see… If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your son?"

"He was playing on the monkey bars but fell off and broke his ankle."

"Ouch."

"Yeah… He's better now, though."

"How old is he?"

"He's just turned four."

 **And just like that Tobias and Tris began to speak and neither one of them wanted to finish any time soon. They never seemed to run out of topics for their conversation and brought up anything that came to mind, finding more and more things they have in common.**

"Are you excited?" **– He inquired gesturing towards her swollen belly with his head.**

"Yes, I am. I'm really looking forward to finally having her here with me. I'm just a little bit afraid of giving birth but nevertheless I'm very flustered. What about you? Were you and your wife excited when your son was born? You must've been terrified."

"Actually, I don't have a wife. She left after she gave birth to him. I'm a single father." **– He said, surprising even himself with his honesty.**

"I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

"No, it's OK. You couldn't have known. She was just not cut out for the role of a mother and I'm glad that we realized that before James got older. Anyways…To answer your question, yes I was terrified but thrilled at the same time. He wasn't planned but over the course of the pregnancy, I came to love him."

"Is it hard? You know, raising him alone."

"Sometimes, it is but I wouldn't trade it for anything. He's the best thing in my life."

"That's sweet."

"What?"

"You talking about your son… I just… I've just never seen or heard a man before talking about their children with this much love. You must be a wonderful father and I'm sure James loves you very much."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you! **" -** **He answered blushing by her sweet compliment. What is happening? He has blushed two times today and he'd never ever blushed before.**

"What do you do for a living?"

"I am currently working at a software designer company but I have a degree in teaching."

"I work as a…"

 **Much to their displeasure, their 2-hours-long conversation was interrupted when a nurse tapped on Tobias's shoulder, holding James's papers in her hand.**

"Four Eaton?"

"It's me.

"Here are your son's papers and also a prescription for painkillers if the pain was to come back. I apologize for having to wait this long but sadly the computer shut down and we had a hard time making it function again."

"It's OK. Thank you!"

 **He was certain that it could be seen on his face that he was very much looking forward to the nurse's departure so he could continue his conversation with Tris but he just couldn't help it. The very moment she finally left, Tobias turned back around eagerly only to find Tris clutching at her stomach, staring down blankly at her legs. Concern was written all over his features as he saw the painful expression on Tris's face and he quickly kneeled down in front of her to find out what's the problem.**

"Are you OK?"

"No, I don't think so." **– She panted, letting out a shriek of unbearable pain. –** "I think my water just broke."

"Oh my God!"

 **Never in his entire life was Tobias Eaton this shocked than right now. For a fraction of seconds, he froze and had no idea what he should do. Another scream coming from Tris, signaling her next construction broke him out of his state of shock, making him realize that the situation was dead serious. He rapidly jumped up and raced towards the nurse's station to call some help. Luckily for Tris, Tobias was a very good runner and arrived to the station in like 30 seconds.**

"My friend over there… She needs help… She is preg…nant and her water just broke." **– He said panting from all the running he just did.**

 **Everything afterwards happened very quickly and in a matter of two hours Tris has reached 10 cm and was ready to give birth. Tobias didn't know why he stayed around for this long but he just couldn't bring himself to leave her here alone. He sat there holding her hand and whispered comforting words to her. He knows that he should just leave given that he has nothing to do with this girl but he just felt the urge inside of him to stay around and comfort her while she is in agony.**

"Alright Tris, you are 9 cm dilated and will be ready push in a few minutes. Get ready to meet your daughter!"

 **After letting Tris know that she is ready, two nurses dressed in blue scrubs came inside the room and proceeded to push her bed out in the hallway and towards the labor room. However, Tris was not ready to go just yet and she stopped them from pulling her further outside and reached out to take Tobias's hand. He kneeled down beside the bed and squeezed her thin hand, rubbing her knuckles in a soothing way. He sent a small smile in her way and waited patiently for her to stay what she wants.**

"Please Four, just come inside! I don't want to do this alone."

"Me? I don't think that's such a good idea. Don't you want me to call your husband or something instead?"

"I don't have a husband. The bastard knocked me up and took off as soon as he found out about this pregnancy."

"Still, I don't really feel like I should go in there…"

"Please, I'm _begging_ you, _please_!"

"OK." **– As soon as he agreed to her request, he immediately thought of James who was still sitting at the daycare. – "** I just have to make a quick phone call. I'll be right back."

"OK."

 **The Hallway**

 **Unfortunately, there wasn't much reception in this hospital; therefore Tobias had to go outside to be able to make the call. It didn't really help either that Zeke didn't not answer his phone for several minutes.**

"C'mon, pick up! Just pick up the damn phone!"

"Hello?"

"Zeke, it's me, Four. Could you please go and pick up James from the daycare. I would do it but I've got something very urgent and I just won't be able to make it there in time."

"Of course, man but if you don't mind me asking, what's so urgent?"

"I don't have time for this right now but I'll tell you about it as soon as I will go get James, I promise. Thanks dude, you're the best! I owe you one."

"Of course but…"

 **Not letting Zeke to finish his sentence, he cut him off and hung up, quickly running, back to the room.**

 **The Labor Room**

 **As soon as he walked back into the room, he saw that everything was ready to go into action; therefore he rushed over to Tris's side and hesitatingly took a hold of her hand. However, all of his worries were reassured when he felt Tris squeeze it while looking at him with a smile. He doesn't really know what exactly he should do but he figured that he will just go with the flow and do what his heart tells him to do. He doesn't know this girl for very long but he already feels very attached to her which is not really a common thing for him given his usual cold attitude towards strangers.**

"Everything's going to be OK. Just listen what the doctor says and you'll be just fine."

 **The first time he was in a labor room, he had mixed feelings since he wanted to be there and not at the same time. They had agreed that after giving birth, the mother will leave them alone and not come back ever again, therefore he just wanted get it over with and take his son home. He didn't want to comfort her, nor hold her hand or any other things of that source; he just wanted her out of their lives for good. However, now it was all different. Now, he feels the need to support Tris and that is exactly he is going to do.**

"All right Tris, you've finally reached 10 cm so you can start pushing right when the next construction comes."

"Oh my Godddd!" **– cried out loud Tris from the pain of the construction that had just hit her. – "** I'm… so sor…ry."

 **At first, Tobias was a bit confused about why she kept on saying that she was sorry but then he took a note of the pain in his hand and realized that she was apologizing for gripping it too hard.**

"No, it's OK. It's alright. If it makes you any better, just squeeze it as hard as you'd like."

 **Couple of Minutes Later**

"You're doing great." **– Tobias said, trying to reassure Tris.**

"Alright, I can see the head. We just need two more pushes."

"You heard that? It's almost over." **– exclaimed Tobias trying to sound reassuring for her but all he saw on her features was clear agony and exhaustion.**

"OK, I need you to listen to me carefully. When the next construction comes, I need you to give me a push as hard as you can. Do you think you can do that?"

"It hurts so much."

"I know… I know… Tris, listen to me!" **– He cupped her cheek, in attempt to get her to turn her attention to him and squeezed her hand, rubbing her knuckles comfortingly. –** "I know it hurts like a bitch and I wish I could just take all of your pain over but you have to push one more time and you'll finally be able to hold your little girl in your arms. Please, just do it for me!

 **Tris couldn't put her finger on what happened but when she heard Tobias's encouraging words; they gave her a strange burst of energy. Taking a deep breath, she waited for the next construction to arrive and put every ounce of that given energy into finally popping her daughter out.**

"It's a beautiful baby girl. Daddy? Would you like the honor of cutting the cord?"

"Oh, you mean me? Um… Actually, I'm… OK…"

 **At first, Tobias was about to protest but thought it would be less awkward if he just went along with the instructions instead of telling them that he is just a stranger whom Tris asked to come inside because she was afraid of giving birth.**

 **Tris's Hospital Room**

 **Once Tris gave birth to her beautiful baby girl, one of the nurses took her away to clean her up and do the regular check-ups for babies. Being exhausted from today's previous events, Tris instantly fell asleep leaving Tobias alone with his thoughts. He decided to stick around for a little more because he figured that he should at least say goodbye after their crazy adventure together. Within a couple of minutes, Tris began to stir in her bed and slowly opened up her heavy lids, allowing tiredness to be seen on her face. She was quite surprised to see Tobias still here but also kind of glad because they didn't get to say goodbye properly to each other.**

"Hey!" **– He greeted her sitting up straight in that uncomfortable hospital chair beside her bed.**

"Hi!" **– She said quietly, sending a soft smile towards him.**

"How are you?"

"Considering that I just pushed a little human being out of me, I'm pretty good."

"I'm glad. Once again, you were incredible and I wish you nothing but happiness and joy for you and your little…"

 **Tobias did not get to finish his sentence, being interrupted halfway as Tris's family members entered the room, not even taking note that Tris was not alone in here while rushing over to the basinet in the corner of Tris's plain hospital room where the newborn baby was quietly resting.**

"Now that your family is here, I think it's time for me to leave."

 **Tobias was already halfway out of the room when Tris's weak voice got him to stop. He felt slightly awkward after her family and was a little bit hesitant to turn around but could not fight off the urge.**

"Four, wait!"

"Yeah?"

"Could you guys give us a minute?"

 **Tris asked her family, gesturing with her head towards Tobias, who was awkwardly standing in the doorway. In between literally worshipping the newborn child, they finally turned around to acknowledge that another person was presence in the room. Clear astonishment could be seen on all of their faces and they left but not without giving her a knowing look. Christina, of course, even winked at her and wanted to get details later. Caleb, on the other, was not so happy to see a man beside his little sister and stared daggers at Tobias while making his way outside. Once they were alone again, Tris turned her attention back towards Tobias and started off with her speech.**

"Thank you. Thank you so much for everything you've done today. I know I had no right to drag you into the labor but you did anyway and I'm just… very grateful for that."

"You're welcome Tris! It was my pleasure helping you out." - **For a few minutes, neither one of them said anything, just simply stared at each other, not wanting to leave this comfortable silence. – "** I should really leave now. My family is probably looking for me and is worried about where I am."

"Of course. I'm sorry about holding you up."

"I've already told you, it was my pleasure."

"OK."

"Well then, bye Tris." **– He said, giving her a hug. He didn't plan to but somehow he just couldn't control this urge inside of him. –** "You were incredible today and I'm very glad I got to meet you."

 **This time he really did proceed to leave but not before placing a gentle kiss on Tris's left cheek. Letting his lips linger for a moment, he stood up only to find her cheeks with an adorable blush on them and walked out of the room. As much as he would have liked to stay, Tobias knew that his short getaway from reality was over. Staying here with Tris seemed even more appealing when he thought about Zeke who is most definitely going to be very pissed, because he didn't come to pick James up in time and has been away for more than five hours.**

"Bye Four!" **– She said goodbye, her face still turned crimson by his sweet comment.**

 **Zeke and Shauna's Apartment**

 **Within the next thirty minutes, Tobias arrived to Zeke's apartment and parked his car in front of the building. He was still kind of feeling weird about leaving Tris but he knew that every good thing has got to come to end. On the other hand, he was very happy to have met her and to finally see his son again. He knew that he shouldn't be feeling this happy because of what Zeke will have to say but nothing really could bring his mood down.**

 **As he was approaching the front door, he was beginning to feel more and more anxious of Zeke's outburst. He just quickly wanted to grab James and take off because he knew that his best friend would be pissed. Slowly walking over to his door, he prepared himself to be yelled at and knocked on it two times. Hopefully, he will hold himself back given the fact that James will be in the room, too.**

 _ **Knock-knock**_

 **The sound of two little foot running around was the first he heard and all of a sudden the door was ripped open. There was standing Zeke with James behind his legs. The moment the little boy noticed his father, he ran outside and almost tackled him to the ground, as he wrapped his little arms around his leg.**

"Daddy!"

"Hello buddy! I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too."

"Sorry for not coming to pick you up but Daddy had something he needed to take care of first." **– He started to explain the events of today as he take a glance at Zeke and kneeled down on the ground in front of his son. – "** Did you have fun with Uncle Zeke? Have you been good for him?"

"Yes, I was good."

"Good. That's what I want to hear. How's your ankle? Is it any better?"

"Yes."

"Let's go inside so daddy could have a word with Uncle Zeke. Just go and play, I'll come get you as soon as we're done, OK?"

 **Nodding joyfully at his father's suggestion, James began to stir in his grip, signal Tobias that he wants to be released.**

"Do you bother to tell me what happened? You asked me to pick him up but you forgot to mention that you'd be gone for almost four hours."

"I'm sorry, OK? Where is Shauna?" **– He inquired, taking a note of the quietness of the flat.**

"Don't you dare try to change the subject but if you really want to know she had to fly back to California for her family. Where were we? Yeah, you were about to tell me what the heck happened!"

"I just… I just met a girl at the hospital."

"She better be some hot chick for making me cancel all of my plans for today. Don't get me wrong I love James and all but you know that I'm not the babysitter type."

"I'm sorry, OK? I didn't mean to put you in this situation, things just came up."

"OK, I'm over it. Now, tell me what happened! You met her, took her to the janitor's closet and did the deeds?"

"It wasn't like that, OK? We were just talking and then suddenly her water broke." **– He kept on with his story and scratched his neck, which was something he often does when he's nervous or embarrassed.**

"Wait, she's pregnant?!"

"Yes, she _was_ pregnant. _And she asked me to go into the labor room with her."_

"WTF?! And you did?! Why didn't she call her husband or boyfriend or parents?"

"The father of her daughter left as soon as he found out about the pregnancy and by the time her parents could've got there, it would've been too late given that they live in St Louis." **/AN: I've also googled this and it seemed quite far away from Chicago/**

"I still don't know why you would go into the labor room with a complete stranger.

"You don't understand… The way she was looking at me… She was really afraid of this whole ordeal and I… I just couldn't bring myself to say no to her request."

"Oh my God… Please at least tell me that you were not the one to cut the baby's cord!"

"They thought that I was the father, OK? What should I have done, huh? Start explaining to them that I'm just a random guy who met this girl only like four hours ago. Although, to tell you the truth, for a minute while sitting there with me holding her hand and her holding the baby, I actually felt like I was the father of this baby but when her family arrived I finally realized that I was a perfect stranger between them and I had nothing to do with that family"

"Please, don't tell me that you're already this deep with her. You just met her, dude!

"Zeke, how many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't like that? Even if it was, I will most likely never see her again and this is the end of this discussion. It's already late and I still have to get James home."

"Alright, but you'll have to tell me more about this hospital girl."

"I will not." **– He said glaring straight into his eyes. –** "James!"

"Yeah?"

"Go get your stuff and meet me at the front door, OK?"

"OK, daddy!"

 **Obeying to his father's request, James quickly turned around to go back into the living room and collect his toys into his backpack. For the few minutes he has been gone, Tobias couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with Zeke because he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of being right once again. Zeke was the first one to break the awkward silence between the two friends and instead of keeping on with teasing him, which he very much enjoyed, he decided otherwise and gave voice to his true feelings about the situation.**

"I just can't believe that I'm seeing you like this again." **– He stated and couldn't help letting out chuckle. –** "Don't even try to deny it, Four! I know that look on your face and I haven't seen you being like this about a girl ever since like high school... I'm just really happy for you. It's finally time for you to get back at the game again."

 **Luckily for Tobias, he was saved from giving a reply to his declaration by no other but his son, who was standing next to him with his backpack on his back, tugging on the hem of his jacket ready to get on the road.**

"Bye Zeke!"

"Bye Uncle Zeke!"

"Bye guys! See you around!"

 **As they were walking down the narrow hallway towards his car, Tobias couldn't stop thinking about what Zeke had to say about his newfound "crush". It's funny for a 24-year-old to say something like this but he actually does feel like he's back in high school visioning about the girl he's crushing on. It really has been one hell of a long time since a girl managed to trigger this kind of mixed emotions in him and he had to admit that it kind of felt great. He slightly shook his head as he helped his son into the car and buckled him up in his seat securely. The idea of never meeting Tris ever again was just… Ah, he needs to accept the fact that he will most definitely not see her again and stop thinking like this. Girls come and go, right? That saying may be true but Tris wasn't just a girl. She was simply different in a way he could not manage to explain and that is why it was the most significant first encounter in his life. As much as it hurt to admit, he just needs to accept the fact that he will probably never see this girl again.**

 _ **It seems like it just wasn't meant to be.**_

 **How was it? Should I go on or should I stop? I don't really know what to think about this chapter. Maybe it was a bad idea to write this. Ahww…**

 **Much Love,**

 **~DivergentFan4Ever.**


End file.
